Obama Appoints 2 USCIRF Commissioners

In a press release issued Friday, the U,S. Commission on International Religious Freedom announced appointments by President Obama to the Commission,  On May 12 the President announced his intention to reappoint Rev. Thomas J. Reese, S.J.and to appoint Dr. John Ruskay to two year terms.  Reese is a senior analyst for the National Catholic Reporter.  Ruskay is Executive Vice President-Emeritus of the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York. Ruskay replaces Eric Schwartz whose term is expiring,

Sandra Jolley Appointed To US Commission on International Religious Freedom

In a press release last week, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom announced that on April 27, Sandra Jolley was appointed to serve a two-year term on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.  Her appointment was made by Sen. Harry Reid, minority leader in the U.S. Senate.  Three commissioners are appointed by the President and six other are appointed by party leaders in the House and Senate. Jolley has been a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nevada.  She replaces Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett who served two terms on the Commission.

USCIRF Issues 2016 Annual Report On Religious Freedom Abuses Around the World

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom today released its 2016 Annual Report (full text). The Report recommends that the Secretary of State re-designate 9 countries as "countries of particular concern," i.e. countries that engage in or tolerate systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It also recommends adding 8 other countries as CPC's: Central African Republic, Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan, and Vietnam. (In fact on April 14, the State Department did add Tajikistan. See prior posting.)

USCIRF designated 10 countries as Tier 2 nations that have serious religious freedom issues, but which do not rise to the level of CPC's: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Russia, and Turkey.

In making its recommendations, USCIRF said in part:

Non-state actors, such as transnational or local organizations, are some of the most egregious violators of religious freedom in today’s world. In some places, such as the Central African Republic and areas of Iraq and Syria, governments are either non-existent or incapable of addressing violations committed by non-state actors. USCIRF has concluded that the CPC classification should be expanded to allow for the designation of countries such as these, where particularly severe violations of religious freedom are occurring but a government does not exist or does not control its territory. Accordingly, USCIRF’s CPC recommendations reflect that approach. 

Wolcott Replaces Glendon On USCIRF

In a March 21 press release, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom announced that at the recommendation of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, on March 14 Ambassador Jackie Wolcott was appointed for a two-year term to USCIRF to succeed Commissioner Mary Ann Glendon whose term expires on May 14. During most of 2015, Wolcott served as USCIRF's executive director. Prior to that she held a number of State Department positions including a Deputy Assistant Secretary position in which she was responsible for human rights issues arising in the United Nations.

India Effectively Denies Visas To USCIRF Delegation

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said in a press release yesterday that the government of India has effectively denied visas to a USCIRF delegation that was to visit India to assess religious freedom conditions in that country. India failed to issue requested visas in time for the delegation's scheduled departure today.

USCIRF Urges Secretary Kerry To Raise Religious Freedom Issues With Tajikistan

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is currently on a trip to various countries in Europe and Central Asia.  In anticipation of his arrival in Tajikistan today, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued a press release yesterday strongly criticizing Tajikistan's "ongoing efforts to  control religious activity" and urged Secretary Kerry to raise religious freedom concerns with officials in Tajikistan.  USCIRF said in part:

The legal environment for religious freedom in Tajikistan has deteriorated recently, largely to the implementation of the 2009 religion law which: establishes onerous registration requirements for all religious groups; criminalizes all unregistered religious activity as well as private religious education and proselytism; requires official permission for religious groups to provide religious instruction and communicate with foreign co-religionists; and imposes state controls over the content, publication, and import of all religious materials.

The Tajik government imposes additional restrictions on Muslims such as: limiting the number and size of mosques; closing hundreds of unregistered mosques and prayer rooms; and demolishing three unregistered mosques in Dushanbe. The Tajik government pays imams’ salaries in the largest mosques and restricts the preaching of sermons to these mosques.  Muslim prayer officially is allowed only in mosques, cemeteries, homes, and shrines. As of October 2015, Tajik authorities reportedly are prohibiting government employees from attending Friday prayers.

Congress Reauthorizes USCIRF For 4 Years In Bill Requiring New Strategic Plan

Yesterday Congress sent to the President for his signature S. 2078, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2015 (full text).  The bill extends the life of USCIRF until September 2019, funds it at $3.5 million for each year and creates a compromise arrangement on Commission reforms.  As reported by World News Service:

The bill is close to a clean reauthorization and does not include the reforms [Sen. Marco] Rubio sought in his bill. It also does not include the reforms Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., wanted, elements of which the international religious freedom community said would act as “poison pills” to the commission.

Instead, the legislation gives the commission 60 days to craft a strategic plan and conduct an organizational review. A unanimous commission vote (or a majority of both party appointees) would enact any proposed changes – such as designating ISIS, Boko Haram, and other non-state actors as “countries of particular concern.”

[Thanks to Blog From the Capital for the lead.] 

USCIRF Extended To December 11 As Part of Congressional Continuing Resolution

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has received at least a temporary reprieve.  On Wednesday President Obama signed the Continuing Appropriations Act that funds the government until December 11.  The funding provisions are a rider to HR 719, the TSA Office of Inspection Accountability Act of 2015. (Full text of Act.)  In addition, Sec. 147 of the Act extends the life of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to December 11.  Without this extension, USCIRF would have ceased to exist on Sept. 30.

USCIRF Sunsets Sept. 30 If New Legislation Is Not Passed

While most of the Congressional attention to Sept. 30 has focused on the broad expiration of government funding on that date if a Continuing Resolution is not passed (background), less noticed is the fact that authorization for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom also sunsets on that date.  Not surprisingly, last week USCIRF attempted to call attention to the problem by issuing a press release.  In Congress, S. 2078 has been introduced to extend the Commission for another four years, but so far it has only been reported out of committee in the Senate.

USCIRF Condemns Sudan's Prosecution of 2 Pastors

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued a press release yesterday condemning the government of Sudan for its continuing prosecution of two Christian clergymen on "baseless charges of undermining Sudan’s constitution and waging war against the state"-- crimes which carry a possible death penalty or life in prison.  USCIRF says:

Revs. [Yat] Michael and [Peter] Reith, both of South Sudanese origin, belong to the Presbyterian Evangelical Church Khartoum Bahri congregation.  The congregation has brought a legal case against Sudanese authorities to stop the illegal sale of church land by Sudanese authorities to a Muslim businessman.  The National Intelligence Security Services (NISS) detained Rev. Michael in December 2014, after recording him urging parishioners at a church service to continue standing firm through the trials they were experiencing.  The same month, authorities partially destroyed the church and arrested 37 congregants.  Rev. Reith was detained in January 2015.  Both pastors were held at an undisclosed location and were not granted access to lawyers and family until March 1.

The defendants are also charged with insulting  religious beliefs, breach of the public peace, arousing feelings of discontent among the regular forces and disclosure of official information.

Zogby Reappoined To USCIRF

Last week, President Obama announced his intention to reappoint Dr. James J. Zogby to another term on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Earlier this week, USCIRF issued a press release in which USCIRF Chair Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett welcomed the reappointment.

USCIRF Issues 2015 Annual Report

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom yesterday released its 2015 Annual Report (full text) (press release). The Report, mandated by the International Religious Freedom Act, this year documents religious freedom violations in 33 countries and recommends that 17 countries be designated by the State Department as "countries of particular concern" (CPC) in which particularly severe violations of religious freedom are perpetrated or tolerated. This year, USCIRF expands its criteria for designating CPC:

The 2015 Annual Report recognizes that non-state actors, such as transnational or local organizations, are some of the most egregious violators of religious freedom. For example, in the Central African Republic and areas of Iraq and Syria, the governments are either non-existent or incapable of addressing violations committed by non-state actors. USCIRF has concluded that the CPC classification should be expanded to allow for the designation of countries such as these, where particularly severe violations of religious freedom are occurring but a government does not exist or does not control its territory. Accordingly, USCIRF’s CPC recommendations reflect that approach.

The Report recommends that the State Department redesignate 9 countries as CPC: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.  It also recommends adding 8 other countries to the list: Central African Republic, Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan, and Viet Nam.

USCIRF placed 10 countries on its Tier 2 list, countries that engage in or tolerate violations, but which do not reach CPC levels: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Russia and Turkey.

The Introduction to this year's report highlights massacres by ISIL and Boko Haram, as well as violence in the Central African Republic and Burma, saying:

A horrified world has watched the results of what some have aptly called violence masquerading as religious devotion.

The Report also recommends changes within the State Department to give more authority to the Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom as well as a number of other funding enhancements, programmatic changes and changes in the processing of asylum seekers. Vice-Chair James Zogby issued a dissenting statement saying:

I voted against some of the recommendations in this chapter because I cannot support USCIRF calling on Congress to micro-manage the way the State Department and the White House National Security Council organize their staff and set their priorities.

Again this year, the Report includes lists of those imprisoned in several countries as activists, conscientious objectors or those sentenced for blasphemy.

USCIRF Press Release On Yom Hashoah

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom yesterday issued a press release noting:

April 15 is Yom Hashoah, Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day, an international day commemorating the six million Jews murdered by Nazi Germany and her allies.  It is a solemn day of remembrance, recalling those who suffered and died and those who fought against this evil.  

“As we honor the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and those who fought against the Nazis and their sympathizers, we must go beyond remembering and condemn the torrent of virulent anti-Semitism that has been unleashed seventy years after the Holocaust’s end.  We also must condemn the continued existence and growth of Holocaust denial, an especially solemn responsibility given the gradual disappearance of the generations who witnessed the Nazi evil," said Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). 

Congress Gives USCIRF 9 More Months of Life

Earlier this week, Congress passed and sent to the President H.R. 5816 (full text), extending the life of the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom until Sept. 30, 2015.  The bill is retroactive to Dec. 10, the day before the Commission's current authorization expired. (See prior posting.) The White House website lists this, along with other bills awaiting the President's signature and provides an online opportunity for individuals to comment on the bill.

USCIRF Issues Report On Burma As Obama Visit Approaches

In advance of President Obama's trip to Burma (Myanmar) later this week, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued a report titled Burma: Religious Freedom and Related Human Rights Violations are Hindering Broader Reforms.  In a Nov. 6 press release summarizing the Report, USCIRF said in part:

USCIRF focused on four key issues in its mission: discrimination and horrible abuses against Rohingya Muslims; broader patterns of intolerance against Muslims driven by bigotry and chauvinism among religious and political figures that also impact all other minority religious communities in Burma; laws, policies and proposed legislation that entrench multiple forms of discrimination; and deprivation of citizenship to Rohingya Muslims and prejudicial practices in the issuance of identification documents to all Muslims.

Today Is International Religious Freedom Day

In a press release issued today, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom reminds us that today is International Religious Freedom Day, marking the 16th anniversary of the passage of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA).

Continuing Resolution Extends USCIRF Until Dec. 11

The Continuing Appropriations Resolution 2015, (Sec. 144), signed by the President on Sept. 19, among other things amends 22 USC 6436 to extend the life of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom from Sept. 30, 2014 to Dec. 11, 2014.

USCIRF Issues Report On Sectarian Violence In Pakistan

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom yesterday issued a Factsheet titled Violence Towards Religious Communities In Pakistan. It reports that  from July 2013 to June 2014 there were 122 incidents of sectarian violence resulting in 430 deaths and another 773 injuries.  The most common kind of violence was targeted shooting. The largest number of attacks were against Shi'a Muslims, with 222 deaths. The second largest number were against Christians, with 128 deaths. The report includes details of each violent incident.

State Department Updates List of "Countries of Particular Concern" Under International Religious Freedom Act

As previously reported, yesterday the State Department issued its 2013 International Religious Freedom Report. Somewhat buried in the announcement and Secretary Kerry's remarks was the revelation that the State Department at the same time updated its list of "Countries of Particular Concern" (CPC).  The countries on the revised list are Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.  All of these except for Turkmenistan had been on last year's list.

The 1968 International Religious Freedom Act, Sec. 402(b), calls for the President to make CPC designations annually for countries that have "engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom." The Act also calls for the President to take various actions against such countries.  Secretary Kerry yesterday, in announcing the list, said:

I want to emphasize: This effort isn’t about naming countries to lists in order to make us feel somehow that we’ve spoken the truth. I want our CPC designations to be grounded in plans, action that help to change the reality on the ground and actually help people. That’s why we are committed to working with governments as partners to help them ensure full respect for the human rights of all of their citizens.

In a press release today, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom commended the State Department for making its CPC designations at the same time that it released its International Religious Freedom Report-- something that the Department has not always done. USCIRF also welcomed the addition of Turkmenistan to the list, noting that it had recommended the designation since 2004. The press release did not mention that USCIRF this year also recommended seven other countries-- Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan and Vietnam-- should receive a similar designation. (See prior posting.)

USCIRF Criticizes Burma's Proposed Religious Conversion Law

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued a press release yesterday strongly criticizing the draft of the Religious Conversion Law that Burma's Parlisment has recently released for comment. USCIRF said in part:

“The draft conversion law is irreparably flawed and would contravene Burma’s international commitments to protect freedom of religion or belief.  Such a law has no place in the 21st century, and we urge that it be withdrawn,” said USCIRF Chairman Robert George.  “This draft law, and the three others that may follow, risk stoking continuing violence and discrimination against Muslims and other religious minorities, including Christians.”

The draft conversion law would create a governmental Registration Board to approve all religious conversions.  While stating that “everyone has the freedom to convert from one religion to another,” the draft law would create a system clearly geared to discourage conversion.